Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
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BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member, issued the following statement on the Air Force announcing the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) will provide command and control support for the Air Force’s E-11 Battlefield Airborne Control Node aircraft mission:
“Bringing the E-11 under the jurisdiction of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at the Grand Forks Air Force Base is an acknowledgment of the incredible leadership at the base, a recognition of how critical the base is to the nation’s defense, and a reminder of how the base is responsible for much more than what can be physically seen there. Today’s announcement will also help solidify the base’s long-term success and stability in Grand Forks. I am grateful for the Air Force leaders who made this wise decision, and I look forward to helping ensure its success.”
According to the Air Force, under the proposed plan – which is contingent on congressional approval of the retirement of four E-8 JSTARS aircraft at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia – an E-11 squadron at Robins Air Force Base would be a geographically separated unit reporting to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing. Pending the inclusion of certain language in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Senator Cramer will help craft as a member of SASC, the E-11 mission is expected to stand up next year. Learn more here.
Through hearings, legislation like the NDAA, and relationships established through the Senate confirmation process, Senator Cramer has been using his seat on SASC to tout the capabilities of GFAFB. Some of those most recent efforts include:
- Pressing top military leaders like Secretary of Defense Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley to support ISR capabilities at a hearing on the Biden Administration’s military budget proposal.
- Highlighting the need for increased intelligence capabilities, like the ISR platforms run by GFAFB, in volatile parts of the world with regional military commanders.
- Hosting Space Force and Air Force leaders like Chief of Space Force Operations General Raymond and Air Force Chief of Staff General Brown on their trips to the base.
The senator also attended the Change of Command ceremony held at the base earlier this week.